Insulated rail joint



Oct. 11, 1932. L SKA 1,881,708

INSULATED RAIL JOINT Filed July 28. 1950 Ill/11717;;

Patented Oct. 11, 1932 7 e I 1 1 70 NITED srAras PATENT; OFFICE TONY LASKA, or CLE-ELUM, WASHINGTON Ins LATEn R. AIL JOINT A pplieation filed July 28, 1930. v Serial No. 471,329.

Thisinvention relates to an improved ining the subject matter of the present invensulated' rail joint. tion includes fish plates having angularly dis In modern railway signaling, the track is posed vertical and lateral flanges 4 and 5, dividedinto what are known as blocksections the former of which are provided with longiand these sections are necessarily insulated tudinal channels 6 which confront the rail 55 from each other to permit proper functionwebs, while the latter flanges overlie the ing of the signals. In the past, means of flanges 3 of the rails. As seen best in Figvarious; types have been employed for this ure 4 of the drawing. corresponding end porpurpose, but it has been found that such tions of the lateral flanges 5 of the fish plates 1 means are either too delicate in structure to are recessed or reduced at their lower sides 60? withstand the repeated pounding of the and inner edges substantially half their wheels of a train'passing thereover, or they lengths and the vertical flanges are also reincorporate so many parts that they are i1nduced attheir top edges and inner sides subpractical. stantially half their lengths,said reduced por- One object of the present invention is, there tions of the lateral and vertical flanges defore, to provide an improved insulated rail fining shoulders 7 having rounded upper and joint which will be eflicient and which will lower edges. Overlying the reduced end porincorporate a minimum number of working tions of the fish plates are substantially chanparts. nel shaped insulating shims 8 which are pref- 0' Another object of the invention isto proerably formed of pliable insulating material 6' vide a device of this character wherein'the and are of uniform thickness throughout. insulating material will abut only one of the The shims abut the shoulders 7 and are promeeting ends of the rail. vided with webs having relatively narrow top A further object of the inventionis to proflanges 9 and relatively wide bottom flanges vide an insulated rail joint wherein the fish 10. The webs of the shii is lie flat against the plates are recessed at corresponding ends to web, of the rail end while the relatively accommodate th shims of insulating material narrow top and relatively wide bottom flanges so that said shims will lie flush with the op- 9 and 10 are seated between the lower faces posite corresponding ends of the fish plates. of the tread of said rail end and the top edges Other and incidental objects of the invenof thefish plates, and between the flanges 5 0' tion not mentioned in the foregoing will be of the plates and the adjacent rail flanges 3 apparent during the course of the following respectively.

description. Extending through the reduced end por- The invention is illustrated inthe accomtions of the fish plates are bolts 9 having -pany1ng'drawing, wherein: nuts 10, screwed thereon, said bolts clamping 5" Figure 1 is a perspective view of the desaid end portions of the fish plates to the web vice. 2 of the rail end 20. Surrounding the bolts Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of are insulating sleeves 12 which are formed the device. preferably of pliable fiber. As can be seen Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the more clearly in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawline 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction ing, the sleeves are carried on the bolts at indicated by the arrows. their medialportions and said sleeves extend Figure tie a fragmentary perspective view through the rail web 2 of the rail end 20 as showing more clearly the reduced portion of Well as through the shims 8 into the channels 45 one of the fish plates. 6. These sleeves 12 insulate the bolts 9 from Referring more particularly to the draw said web. Extending through the fish plates ing, I have shown the meeting end portions at the opposite end portions thereof are bolts of railroad rails 20 and 80 having treads 1, 13 having nuts 14, said bolts clamping said webs 2. and flanges 3. fish plates to the web of the rail end 80. Suit- The improved insulated rail joint comprisable lockingwashers may be interposed besectionofthe rail ends, said separator preventing the making of electrical contact, which mlghr be caused by creeping of the rails due to expansion and contraction. As

seen more clearly in Figure 2 ofthe drawwebs of said rail ends, and insulating sleeves of a length equal to the distance between ing,'the shims 8 overlap the edges of the separator to prevent possiblelateral displacej rail ends.-

ment thereof. 7

lWhen installing the improved insulated rail'joint, the separator is first placed in p0 sition between the'meeting end faces of the @neof the shims 8 1s then placed in position in overlying relation to the reduced portion of one of the fish plates. One

of the bolts 9 is then projectedthrough the verticalflange of said fish plate and through the shim overlying said plate, when one of the sleeves 12 is slipped over the outer end of said bolt and movedrearwardly on said bolt into engagement with the inner face of the vertical flange of the fish plate. Theifish plate is then placed in abutting relation with the rail ends and, of course, the bolt will extend through the web ofone of the rail ends 20.. The opposite shim 8 is then placed in position on the opposite fish plate in the same vmanner as described in connection with the first mentioned fish plate. A second {bolt 9' is projected through the second mentioned fishplate and an insulating sleeve similar to 'the first mentioned insulating sleeve is slipped over the bolt when saidhfish plate. is moved into abutting relation with the face oftherail web opposite the former fish plate 1- and shim. The nuts 10 and 14 are then screwed on for tightly clamping the fishplates andshims. in position on the rail ends.

Due to the fact that theshims are formed of l v 'pllable insulating material, danger of crack- 7 ing said shims when tightening upithe b lt is obviated; a I.

nssnvos rail ends for the entire height thereof, oppositely disposed angle bars connecting the rail teringopenings, channel shaped shims inw dependent of the'separatorand former of insulating material interposed between the angle bars and webs of the rail ends and overlapping and bearing against the adjacent side edges offhe insulated separator at the the inner faces of-the angle barssurrounding certain of the securingbolts and extending through the adjacent openings "in the webs of the rail ends and through said insulating shims with their ends projecting beyond the shims and bearing snugly against the inner faces of the angle bars around theadjacent securlngbolts. 1

In testimony whereofl afiix' my signature,

* TONY LASKA. [Le].

iattention is directed to the fact thatin-V I asmuch as the, shims 8 lie within the recessed "portions' of corresponding ends of the fish;

\ plates and are disposed flush with the opposite corresponding ends of the said plates,

it will not be necessary to employ shims of insulating or of other material to compensate for the thickness 0i said shims 8.

rail ends having bolt-receiving openings formedin the webs thereof, a separator of insulating material interposed between said;

It can 

